Hunley: Hope for a familiar name at Pfitzner

Hunley: Getting in the ring with grappling gurus

Jonathan Hunley

By: Jonathan Hunley | InsideNova
Published: April 08, 2011

When you’re the son of a successful father, the comparisons inevitably come, which is why I’ve tried to make as many mistakes as possible, thereby easing the path for my 4-year-old.

Cutter Dykstra has no such good fortune, though.

You might remember his dad as outfielder Lenny Dykstra, who played for the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies. He was on the Mets’ 1986 World Series champion team and earned the nickname “Nails” for his hard-nosed play.

Cutter Dykstra is set to begin his 2011 season tonight in Woodbridge with the Potomac Nationals. He came to the Washington Nationals organization in a trade last month that sent major-league outfielder Nyjer Morgan to the Milwaukee Brewers.

The 21-year-old hit .312 in 100 games last year for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the Brewers’ team in Appleton, Wis.

Now Dykstra’s one of our guys, so let’s hope he repeats that kind of production for the P-Nats.

The Brewers had him at third base, but he looks to perhaps play more second base here.

He acknowledged that some opponents may put the screws to him because of his heritage, but he’s not worried.

He said that he hopes people see that he plays as hard as his dad, and he loves having that famous last name.

“I embrace it,” he said.

Dykstra said that he always played baseball growing up but that his father actually tried at one point to steer him more toward golf.

Now, though, he’s followed his dad’s footsteps to the Carolina League, where Lenny Dykstra was the 1983 Player of the Year.

Dykstra’s Lynchburg Mets won the league championship that year and also boasted prospect Dwight Gooden, who was named Pitcher of the Year.

The two, of course, would then go on to star for the big-league Mets in ‘86.

Cutter Dykstra also follows Pete Rose Jr. as a player for the local franchise who has a famous father. Rose appeared in 45 games for the erstwhile Prince William Cannons in 1994, when the club was an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

Dykstra hasn’t been around his new teammates long, but he said they play hard, play the game the right way.

“They get after it,” he said.

He should know hustle, considering he’s the Son of Nails.

Here’s to hoping the bright-eyed young man plays so well this year that we flip things and refer to Lenny Dykstra as “Cutter’s father.”

Jonathan Hunley is a staff writer at the News & Messenger. Contact him at 703-369-5738, or at jhunley@insidenova.com.

Hunley: Hope for a familiar name at Pfitzner

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